1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns adding new printers to the "Printers" folder in a Windows-based operating system. In particular, the invention facilitates adding one or more new printers to the folder, each utilizing the same printer driver but having different configurations set for the printer driver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Windows-based operating systems, such as Windows 95.TM., allow a user to select which printer to print to from among multiple printers that are usually displayed in a "Printers" folder. Ordinarily, each of the printers displayed in the Printers folder corresponds to a physical printer, i.e., a printer either connected directly to the computer or one that is accessible to the computer over a network.
Windows 95.TM. allows a user to add printers into the Printers folder by double clicking on the "Add Printer" icon, which is provided by Windows 95.TM. in the Printers folder. Thus, Windows 95.TM.'s "Add Printer" feature is commonly used when a new physical printer is connected (either directly or via a network) to the computer. The new printer has properties associated therewith, including a particular Windows printer driver as well as printer configuration settings such as paper mode and spooling mode. Windows stores at least some of the printer properties in the Windows registry.
In addition, a user can use the Windows 95.TM. "Add Printers" feature to add a printer that in actuality corresponds to the same physical printer as an existing printer in the Printers folder. In this case, the user would click on the "Add Printer" icon, and provide the information requested by a series of Windows-provided dialog boxes, specifying the same printer driver as that of the existing printer. Once created, the user could then change the configuration settings of the new printer using the new printer's "Properties" sheet. The end result would therefore be a new printer which specifies the same physical printer and the same printer driver as an existing printer, but which has different configuration settings.
Thus, for example, if a particular physical printer has duplex print capabilities, a user might define two printers: one in which configuration settings for the printer driver set the printer into one-sided mode, and another in which the configuration settings set the printer into duplex printing mode. Then, merely by selecting which printer to use, a user can obtain one-sided or duplex printing without the need to switch configuration settings before printout.
Since the switching of configuration settings is often a time-consuming and cumbersome procedure, using multiple printers for the same physical printer is often useful and desirable. In particular, it is often desirable to use different configuration settings for different application programs. In this case, a different printer with appropriate configuration settings can be added for each such application program, thereby largely obviating the need to change settings each time a user wants to print from a different application program.
However, addition of printers according to the foregoing method is not straightforward, particularly for a user not technically familiar with the Windows 95.TM. operating system. Specifically, to add a new printer in Windows 95.TM., a user must double click on the "Add Printer" icon, which is counter-intuitive to most users, particularly when a printer already exists in the Printers folder for a particular physical printer. Then, the user must follow a series of installation instructions, and must ignore a series of warning messages that caution against creation of a printer using a printer driver identical to one already in use. Furthermore, a user will often desire to add a new printer which differs with respect to only one or two configuration settings from those of an existing printer. However, since the Windows 95.TM.'s "Add Printer" feature generally creates a new printer with a predetermined default configuration, a user often will be required to make extensive changes to the default configuration in order to obtain the desired settings, rather than simply changing the one or two settings that are different from the existing printer.
Thus, a need exists for the ability to add new printers more easily.